The W2O! Mission Weeds Watch Out! (W2O!) is an education and outreach program that will attempt to thwart the spread of invasive aquatic plant species into, within, and from the Oswego River Basin, a sub-basin of Lake Ontario. W2O! will establish strong inter-watershed relationships in the Oswego River Basin to effectively address current and future invasive aquatic plant issues in a coordinated manner. Map of the Oswego River Basin. Source: USGS FS 180-99, "Managing the Water Resources of the Oswego River Basin in Central New York" by William M. Kappel and Betsy F. Landre. Revised February 2002. To achieve these goals, the following objectives will be addressed: Train volunteers to locate and report new or unknown occurrances of invasive aquatic plants on waterbodies in the Oswego River Basin Train and organize volunteers to report or control infestations while they are small in order to prevent the further spread of invasive aquatic plants. Share data with organizations in the Oswego River Basin concerned with invasive aquatic plants to facilitate management decisions. Develop a variety of educational materials for use by residents and recreational users which identify how to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants. Share data with the North East Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force and the NYS DEC in order to help prioritize larger scale educational and control programs. Taking Steps to Stop the Spread Volunteer Weed Watch Program Volunteers will be trained to monitor designated area within the Oswego River Basin waterbodies a minimum of two times per summer Demonstrations of Invasive Plant Management Techniques Signage Signs with educational messages will be distributed throughout the Oswego River Basin Aquatic Plant Identification Booklet Identification booklets will be distributed throughout the Oswego River Basin Webpage Workshops Workshops on invasive aquatic plants, their identification, impacts and management will be conducted for the public. Weed watcher volunteers will be trained in proper monitoring techniques Home   Invasive Aquatic Plants   Program Info   Waterbodies Info   Plant Biology/Ecology   Control   Events   Contacts   Resources   Volunteers Page updated on September 30, 2005.